I have a question. Do you love your Earth? Do you love being kind and being healthy? What if I told you that by cutting out a few unnecessary food choices you could have a huge effect on not only the Earth but your health as well.

The majority of humans have compassion for animals with the exception of a select few such as Spiders or Cockroaches, and most of us are omnivores, correct? If most of us LOVE animals than why are our diets killing 25 billion innocent animals each year? Our dinners (living things,) experience feelings just like cats and dogs, in fact, it is proven that pigs can have even more of an emotional response than dogs, yet we decide that their lives are less valuable. I know for a fact that if anyone of us were to walk into a slaughterhouse and were able to witness a chicken being ground up live or baby cow’s neck being slit we would have a different impression of what we were eating, there is no humane way to kill in my opinion. A common misconception is that all of this stomach-churning stuff is only happening to meat animals when in fact repulsive stuff is happening to dairy cows as well. They are forcefully impregnated only to have their children taken away for us to milk them. A Human’s milk is for a baby human, a Giraffe’s milk is for a baby Giraffe, and a Cow’s milk is for a baby Cow and…... Humans? Something doesn’t add up, milk is hormonal juice, pumping unnecessary and harmful hormones and nutrients into our bodies each day, we don’t need it, we have our own.

Deforestation is an issue that has been in the public eye for a long time, but what some companies and charities aren’t telling you is that animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon deforestation, not to mention that livestock and their byproducts produce 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Growing the feed crops for livestock animals consumes  56% of water in the U.S. If we continue this downward spiral we won’t have a beautiful earth to call home, we are digging our own grave when it comes to pollution and switching to a plant-based diet will not only reduce pollution but will be more healthy and sustainable in the long run.

Many news stories out there tell us how horrible plant-based, vegan, and vegetarian diets are for us. These stories claim that vegans don’t have vital nutrients and are malnourished. The classic question is “where do you get your protein,” the answer is in beans, nuts, etc… in fact, when doctors were questioned as to how many vegans came in with a protein deficiency the answer was next to none they said that omnivores,  more often than not, came in with a fiber deficiency. Being plant-based is living in abundance and eating much more than you would on the standard American diet. The main source of sodium intake in adults is from Chickens, and the main source of saturated fat intake is from dairy products. Eating plant-based lowers your risk of getting cancer especially Colon and Breast. Omnivores make up 50% of heart disease-related death while vegetarians made up 14% and vegans only 4%, the remaining percents were not counted. Going plant-based also increases you vitamins A and D intake which will, in turn, give you clearer skin.

When you have the tools and facts to see things from a different perspective in regards to health, kindness, and sustainability you will pave the way to a better future that will be filled with fresh air, happy animals, and people living in abundance. In the end, it’s your choice and only you can make it.